Preserved wood.



\ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. j

HAROLD MELVIL LE NEWTON OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURL-ASS IGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE KETTLE RIVER COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MINNESOTA.

PRESERVED WOOD.

No Drawing.

set forth, viz: creosote, distilled from tar sp. gr. 1.00 to 1.07. The hereinafter de scribed tar, sp. gr. 1.10 to 1.16. These ingredients are thoroughly admixed in proportions Which yield a resultant compound ranging in specific gravity from 1.07 to 1.14 as required by the character of the preservation Work to be'done. All the specific gravities herein stated are based upon a temperature of 15 C.

The tar which I use in my compound is de: rived from the destructive distillation of crude petroleum having an asphaltic base,

and it occursas a by-product of the wellknown Lowe process of carburet-ing or enriching water gas with such petroleum. Asphaltic base petro-leums are produced by manywells in Texas and California. This i particular by-product -tar or hydrocarbon oil, is black in reflected light and brown in transmitted light. Improper action or control of the gas making apparatus sometimes results in the formation of free carbon, which appears. in the tar, but the tar is usually substantially free from matter or solids in suspension. This tar is, and remains, liquid at normal temperatures. It is but slightly volatile at atmospheric temperatures; atemperature somewhat exceeding 150 C. being required to initiate distillation. This oil, or tar, as obtained in commerce, may be readily distinguished from other water gas tars by gravity determination, its specific gravity being greater, varying between 1.10 and 1.16 at 15 C. My observation and experience prove that this heavy' hydrocarbon oil or tar from such the Lowe or equivalent) destructive distillation of pew troleum oil characterized by an asphaltic base, is a compound of highly complex and. stable order, its constituents belonging to the aromatic series. Ite lighter constituents-are'ant-iseptic and are well fitted, in Wmmbination with the creosote oil, to preserve Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 30, 1909. Serial No. 525,562.

Patented Sept. 3, 1912.

the saturated wood from fermentation or destruction by insects while its largeproportion of bitumen insures the desirable, thorough water-proofing of ghe Wood.

'To secure the preserving compound hav- .iing the desired specific gravity, '6, which ;may for purposes of illustration be 1.08, I take 100w parts of the hereinbefore described tar having a specific'gravity 172-, this m representing the actual specific gravity .of the tar'used in this particular 'case and lying within the limits 1.10-1.16 and may for purposes of illustration be 1.15, and

thoroughly admix same with a: parts of commercial creosote oil distilled from tar, said creosote oil having a specific gravity n, which n in turn represents the actual specific gravity of the distilled creosote used in this instance and lying within the limits 1.00- 1.07 and mayfor purposes of illustration be 1.05. By a simple calculation. I determine as follows the value of x, which is" the percentage of distilled creosote oil in the compound formed:

m(100-w) +mc 100b Substituting the known values of m, n,

and b, :2; becomes 70 and the compoundis' thus composed of 30 parts of the herinbefore described tar with 70 parts of distilled creosote oil.

One of the distinctly useful features of my wood preserving compound is that the percentage of bitumen or constituents which serve to seal and waterproof the Wood may be greatly varied without changing the specific ravity of the resulting compound,

as may be shown by again using the above illustration relative to the manner of-producing compound of specific gravity 1.08. Should it be desirable to increase the waterproof'qualities of thecompound, as is often a desirable feature Where the wood will be exposed tothe influence and deteriorating effect of water, then I select a tar of the naturehereinbefore described having a lowerspecific gravity, say m:1.11, Ir eparts, and thoroughly adrnix same with :2:

parts ofa lighter'distilled creosote oil, of say specific gravity 11:101. .Determining the value of m,- which is found to be 30, I obtain acorn ound composed of 70 parts of the hereinbe ore described tar, 30 parts of distilled creosote Qil, thusshowi'ng that the proportions may be actually reversed without changing the spfcific gravit of theresulting compound ut neverthe ess greatly varying the percentage of bitumens or waterproofing components or qualities of the resulting compound. The hereinbefore described tar always contains about 45 to 55% of bitumens, therefore in the first instance cited-above the compound contains 15 to -keep itsform and strength for a great length of time. 1 I

.My practice is to use the ordinary creosoting apparatus for forcibly impregnating wood with the hereindescribed compound; no special apparatus is required.

Wood impregnated with the hereinde scribed tar is claimed in my companion application filed October 30, 1909, Serial Number 525,561.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent:

1. Asa new article of manufacture, wood impregnated with creosote oil admixed with theher'ein described residuum hydrocarbon .oil obtained in the manufacture of oil and water gas, by use of petroleum oil having an asphaltic base, said hydrocarbon oil having a specific gravity ofabout 1.13 at 15 0., beginning to distil at about 150 0., being fluid at normal temperature and substantially non-volatile, practically free of matter in suspension and antiseptic to the orgagisms which attack Wood.

. As a new article of manufacture, wood sote oil mixed with the herein described residuum hydrocarbon oil obtained in the manufacture of oil and water gas, by use of petroleum oil having an asphaltic base, said hydrocarbon oil having a specific gravity of about 1.13 at 15 (1, beginning to dist-i1 at about 150 (1., being fluid at normal temperature and substantially non-volatile, practically free of matter in suspension and antiseptic to the organisms which attack wood. r

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, this 26th day of October, 1909, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

HAROLD MELVILLE NEWTON.

Witnesses:

M. SIMON, R. L. FARRTNGTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

substantially wholly impregnated with creo- 

